Who the what now? You believe what?

Friends of the folks from the neighborhood came over this weekend, to swim, share food, talk up a storm and generally be the kind of folks you find in a neighborhood.

There's a neighbor who's about to be a third-time father and he looks to be no older than 26. She looks a little older, but not much. In my assholiness, I push the point and refer to her having her third child by 25, so she must be a quiverfull looney. They don't laugh. He explains, with scripture, that they are indeed breeding god's army. There will come a day when his kids will lead the chosen to kill me and my kind. My kind being rational people.

So I did the only reasonable thing I could. I said nothing.

Nope, that's not what I did. I said. "Dude, I'm an atheist and you're an idiot. Do you believe in dragons and faeries and leprechauns as well?" He looked at me like the idea of equating his magical space being with a short, green, comically-dressed mick was silly... and I should feel silly for suggesting it.

I tried to point out that there have been thousands of times as many species before the ones we know of today, and that implies an old earth... His answer was that everybody knows deep down that they're "from GOD" but some of us pretend to be atheists. Get that: atheists are not really atheists, because deep down we love god..."

I have no plans to 'convert' them... but Mom thinks they're so cool. Twenty somethings who listen to her! Mom, they're fucking retarded! My non-retarded friends have been listening to you for decades!

Oh, but there MUST have been a Jesus (Yeshua), Iraneus, writing in 175/185 CE said so, right Simon? Is that one of your "independent sources"? How about the unknown author someone decided to call "Mark" (72 CE)? The anonymous author they called "Matthew" (75 CE)? The so-called, "Luke" (85 CE)? Or Pseudo-John (wrote: 90-150 CE, no one is sure)? Or Polycarp (lived, 69-155 CE? Tertullian (lived, c.160 – c. 225 CE)?

Which one, or ones of these, who never met Yeshua, coulld possibly be Simon's "independent sources"?

Both Barry and _____ Bob (depending on what title he's working under today) have the courage to say, "Yes, I'm a theist, posting on an atheist website, but as long as we remain civil about it, I don't see why we can't have a dialogue." Sometimes that dialogue gets a little less civil than I'm sure most would prefer, except for those who believe debate to be a blood sport, but at least they're honest about their delusion.

Still waiting on those "independently verified sources" to which, "the essence of his spiritual teaching corresponds."

Oh, did I mention, those should be RELIABLE "independently verified sources" - no anonymous authors, no writings by those who never met the man, etc. A man like you shouldn't have a problem with that, should you?

No need to get your panties in a bunch, your own statements have lead you to this point of incongruity. It is blatantly not intelligent to say that you are an Atheist and then to make a Theist statement proclaiming doG's love. These two positions are incongruent, can't you see that?

Those authors of the Gospels, who never met him, writing about him from 40 to 100 years after his alleged death, if he ever in fact existed, said that, "He knew he was about to be killed by the Romans." Let's get the facts straight, Paynton.

What it sounds like you're saying, is that only those who think as you do, have a right to cherry-pick verses, the which of course are real, while all others are metaphorical or allegorical.